Children's home run by Blackford Education (schools) Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 1 SC060839 Registered provider: Blackford Education (schools) Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company that also operates a number of other homes and one school in the locality. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 September 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 21 December 2016

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The management of medication requires improvement. Stock balances are inaccurate and recording systems are not well maintained. Records do not comprehensively show when medication is administered and who dispensed the medication.  Young people’s placement plans, behaviour support plans and risk assessments lack essential up-to-date information. These documents mostly include historical needs, behaviours and risks and do not align with the local authority care plans. The care plan for the current young person is also out of date.  Despite encouragement from staff, the current young person is regularly refusing to engage in the planned activities outside of the home. Staff need to explore additional ways to engage the young person.  Other areas identified for improvement at this inspection relate to the quality and effectiveness of internal and external monitoring provisions, the quality of records

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are looked after by a manager and care team who are nurturing and who demonstrate genuine care. Young people feel safe and happy. As a result, their emotional resilience, confidence and social skills have improved.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from living in a home that is child friendly and well- maintained. The manager and staff team take pride in keeping the environment welcoming and well-presented. Photographs of the young people adorn the home.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/12/2016 Full Good 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/01/2016 Full Good 20/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children:

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Requirement Due date

(a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, care and behaviour management plans and risk assessments need to be current and identify how young people’s needs will be met. In addition, staff need to have a good understanding of these plans and consistently implement them. 02/011/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. The registered person must ensure that all case records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that all records identify the author and the date completed and are accurate. 02/011/2017

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Requirement Due date

44 : Independent person; visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— 02/011/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 4 children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 45(1),(4)(a)(b),(7)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purpose of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation (12)(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should consider the known risks in the local community that have a potential to affect the safety and well-being of the young people living in the home. 02/011/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities outside the home and are encouraged to participate in those activities. In particular, continue to involve and explore different approaches to encourage the young person to engage in activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 9.60)

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from stability in this home. They are looked after by a staff team that is nurturing and kindly and that provides continuity of care. Since the previous inspection in February 2017, one young person has experienced a positive and successful move to a new home. Staff celebrated his achievements and the progress he made. A leaving gift included a photo book that captured memorable occasions and Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 5 activities that he has experienced during his time living here.

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improvement to be good

Currently only one young person lives in the home. Staff are supporting him to develop his independence skills in preparation for adulthood. The registered manager and provider are strong advocates for young people. They have appropriately challenged other agencies who have failed in their responsibilities. Despite this challenge, leaders and managers have been unable to secure confirmation of where the young person will move to when he leaves this home. As a result, they have served notice for the placement to end.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s emotional resilience and social progress have been the main areas of progress. This is because the relationships between staff and young people are secure and genuine. Positive attachments exist and boundaries and expectations are consistently applied. The current young person says that he feels safe and secure.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the young person to take part in a wide range of activities in the local and wider community. However, despite staff involving him in the planning of his activities, he regularly refuses to take part in these. Staff need to explore more effective and creative ways to encourage the young person to engage. The young person’s motivation and interest have been hindered by the uncertainty over his future.

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from living in and staying in a home that is warm, welcoming, homely and well maintained.

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improvement to be good

The manager has not ensured that the young people’s care and behaviour management plans and risk assessments are up to date. Currently, they mostly consist of a chronology of historical events and do not detail the current needs, behaviours and the known risks. In addition, local authority care plans are out of date. As a result, staff are reliant on their experience and knowledge of the young people rather than being provided with clear instructions, guidance and information on how best to maximise their progress.

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improvement to be good

The administration and management of medication require improvement. Central medication records are not well maintained, stock balance levels are inaccurate and a prescription issued in 2016 that is no longer administered has not been disposed of. To date, these weaknesses have not impacted on the safety of young people, but leaders and managers have not taken action to make improvements.

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improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, there has been one referral to the designated officer. Swift and appropriate action was taken by senior leaders and the manager. Staff show a good awareness of safeguarding procedures and protocols and have received safeguarding training. There are no concerns relating to radicalisation or extremism and child sexual exploitation. Young people have not gone missing from home, made any complaints or been given sanctions since the previous inspection. There has been one Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 6 incident resulting in physical intervention being used. This intervention was for a minimal amount of time and only used to ensure the safety of the young person and others.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager’s approach to recruiting new staff is good. Recruitment records are well maintained. Young people are looked after by adults whose suitability has been rigorously assessed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the previous inspection, a new registered manager has been appointed. She is an experienced manager and has the skills, experience and qualifications to undertake this role. She is also registered to manage a second home within the organisation and shares her time between the two homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s and the independent visitor’s monitoring both require improvement. Monitoring reports lack analysis and evaluation. Monitoring systems have not helped the manager or independent visitor to identify and rectify deficiencies identified at this inspection. For example, records that staff maintain are frequently incomplete, they do not always identify the author and the quality of written accounts of a young person’s day and behaviour management reports varies significantly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has completed a locality risk assessment. Although detailed in parts, this document requires improvement. The manager has not considered whether there is an increased risk to the young people if they should go missing or when spending time in the community with their friends. The manager has not considered emergency opening and response times, the crime rate within the locality, coastal tide times and safeguards associated with local events.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the young person. Staff receive effective mandatory and specific training to help them to meet the young people’s individual needs. They receive regular, formal supervision and attendance at team meetings is good. However, the manager has not used these meeting as an opportunity for the care team to reflect on its work and share good practice. This limits opportunities to reflect, learn and develop new skills. Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blackford Education (schools) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Blackford House, Blackford, Minehead TA24 8SY

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Inspector

Sharron Escott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC060839 9 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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